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Monthly Archives: June 2011
Kevin Spacey as Richard III, the “cunning, conniving, charismatic king”
One of this summer’s hottest theatre tickets will be Kevin Spacey’s performance as Shakespeare’s most famous villain Richard III, currently previewing at the Old Vic in London. In a Radio interview with Spacey and his director, Sam Mendes it’s clear … Continue reading
Unearthing Shakespeare: Good friend for Jesus sake forbear
Why is there such fascination with the idea of exhuming Shakespeare? People who want to do so always claim they will find something exciting out by doing so. The current crop of hopefuls, as recorded by the Stratford Herald, BBC … Continue reading
Greatest Shakespeare speeches in performance
When I put up my list of top ten Shakespeare speeches I promised a second set of speeches which I associate with a particular performance. My list provided a great subject for discussion during a long walk … Continue reading
Posted in Plays and Poems, Shakespeare on Stage
Tagged Alan Howard, Anton Lesser, David Suchet, Derek Jacobi, Jane Lapotaire, John Carlisle, John Heffernan, Judi Dench, Juliet Stevenson, National Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company, Shakespeare, Simon Russell Beale, sound recording, Tobacco Factory
3 Comments
Macbeth: what happens next?
So what does happen after the end of Macbeth? For Shakespeare, needing a politically-acceptable conclusion, the answer was straightforward, Malcolm filling the vacuum left by the death of the tyrant and his queen. David Greig, in his new play Dunsinane, has … Continue reading
A Midsummer Night’s Dream: lost in the forest
It’s the longest day of the year, a time when our ancestors believed the supernatural came particularly close to the human. So where does Shakespeare set his play where, on Midsummer night, the world as we know it gets turned … Continue reading
Posted in Plays and Poems, Shakespeare's World
Tagged A Midsummer Night's Dream, Arden, forest, magic, Shakespeare
4 Comments
Shakespeare’s fathers: nature or nurture?
It’s Father’s Day in the UK today, and the prime minister, David Cameron, is taking the opportunity to have a go at fathers who fail to take financial or emotional responsibility for their families. There are children growing up …who … Continue reading
Posted in Plays and Poems, Shakespeare's World
Tagged Cymbeline, family, fathers, Hamlet, King Lear, Shakespeare, sons, The Winter's Tale
1 Comment
Shakespeare’s Avon, Act 4: river of life
The River Avon has always been of central importance to the town of Stratford and the area surrounding it. In Shakespeare’s day, it was an important artery for trade and a source of power (the mill is mentioned in the … Continue reading
Posted in Legacy, Shakespeare's World, Stratford-upon-Avon
Tagged birds, Forest of Arden, River Avon, Shakespeare, Stratford-upon-Avon, swans, wildlife
4 Comments
Reading in Shakespeare’s England
While on holiday in the English Lake District earlier this year I visited Townend, an old farmhouse in the village of Troutbeck, now in the care of the National Trust. It’s a rare survivor, a house lived in by the … Continue reading
Posted in Shakespeare's World
Tagged Lake District, literacy, Mark Purcell, National Trust, Shakespeare, Townend, Troutbeck
1 Comment
Shakespeare’s Avon, Act 3: David Garrick’s Jubilee
The story of Stratford’s rise from being a typical market town into an international tourist destination is often said to start in 1769 when the greatest actor of the day, David Garrick, put on a three-day celebration of Shakespeare. The fact … Continue reading
Posted in Legacy, Stratford-upon-Avon
Tagged Amphitheatre, David Garrick, Jubilee, Ode, Shakespeare, Thomas Arne
2 Comments
More Ophelia contenders: Jane Shaxspere v. Katherine Hamlet and Margaret Clopton
Over the last couple of days Shakespeare’s inspiration for the death of Ophelia in Hamlet has provoked a surprising amount of media coverage. University of Oxford lecturer Dr Steven Gunn has been researching records of inquests at the National Archives, … Continue reading
Posted in Plays and Poems, Shakespeare's World, Sources, Stratford-upon-Avon
Tagged Hamlet, Jane Shaxspeare, Katherine Hamlet, Margaret Clopton, Ophelia, Shakespeare, Steven Gunn
Comments Off on More Ophelia contenders: Jane Shaxspere v. Katherine Hamlet and Margaret Clopton